A NASA astronaut recently sent the internet into a frenzy when he posted an alien-looking photo on social media. The photo posted by Don Pettit depicts what appears to be an egg-shaped object with tentacles spouting out of it prompting followers who may have seen too many science fiction movies to assume extra terrestrial life.

The crew of the Artemis II landed back on Earth on Friday night - but human beings weren't the only ones greeting them aboard the USS John P Murtha

The eerie purple orb freaking out social media is actually Spudnik-1, a homegrown ISS potato pointing to NASA's plans for food on Moon and Mars trips.

A strange, tentacled object that went viral online was revealed to be a space-grown purple potato. Astronaut Don Pettit cultivated the unusual specimen during a microgravity gardening experiment, highlighting the potential for future food production beyond Earth.

The internet went into a frenzy when a NASA astronaut shared a weird alien-looking photo on social media. The photo showed an object that was floating in the air and appeared to be purple, egg-shaped with tentacles spouting out of it.

As NASA’s Artemis II crew flew by the moon, capturing sensational images, a ground-crew agent quoted Rocky, the alien hero from Ryan Gosling's recent sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary. For many, the moment imbued an already historic event with an added sense of timelessness and poignancy.

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